Joppatowne will play its Class 1A state semifinal Friday at either 3 or 5 p.m. against a team from Class 1A to be decided this week. The game will be played at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House. Joppatowne is the defending state champion in Class 1A.

"I think we're going in strong," said Joppatowne head coach MikeBauer, who led his team to a 23-0 season last year.

Joppatowne's B. J. Barnes nailed a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in the half,giving the Mariners a 29-17 lead at the break.

Kent County's bestquarter came in the third, but the team was still outscored, 11-10, and trailed, 40-27, going into the final quarter.

With 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the game, Joppatowne increased the lead to 45-29 off a 10-foot jumper from Barnes. Kent rushed its offense to playcatch-up.

"We were forced to put up some three-pointers in the fourth quarter, and that took us out of the inside game," said Kent's head coach, Len Smith.

"Our defense is what won the game for us," said Hockaday, sporting one of the game-winning nets around his neck in the locker room. Mack wore the other net.

Mack said the Marinerstightened the offense in the third quarter and then moved it back out to open up passing lanes. Consequently, most of Joppatowne's baskets came off layups.

Although the Mariners had romped over Perryville, 72-43, during the regular season, they started out slowly Wednesday night. Fourth-seeded Perryville (7-12) stayed within seven until midway through the second quar

ter.

In an extremely physical game, Perryville had a lot of trouble against the Mariners' man-to-man defense, turning the ball over 15 times in the firsthalf. But it remained in the contest by hitting six of six free throws, including two that capped off three-point plays.

Joppatowne finally employed its height and strength advantages by running off 10 unanswered points to take a 34-18 lead late in the second half.

Perryville turned the ball over seven times and didn't get a single shotoff during the 1:43 it took the Mariners to score those 10 points.

Although Perryville hit 18 of 22 shots from the line in the game, Joppatowne shot 43 free throws, making 23.

Hockaday scored 12 of his points on free throws.

The Mariners, who had taken a 51-38 lead after three quarters, scored 11 of their 25 fourth-quarter points on free throws.